The Rancher Takes a Cook (20 page)

G.W.’s smile widened as he draped an arm
around the plump woman beside him. “My gal sure can cook, can’t
she?” His ‘gal’ rewarded the comment by smiling at him as if he
were a knight who had just rescued her from a fire-breathing
dragon.

Anna smiled at the pair. How sweet to watch
two people in love. She sneaked a glance at Jacob and caught his
gaze on her. Heat crept into her face, so she turned her focus back
to the pies.

The three judges huddled together and
discussed the paper in Reverend Wallace’s hand. They finally
separated, and the Reverend spoke in the deep voice he used for his
sermons.

“Ladies and Gentleman, after much
deliberation, we have selected the winners of the pie competition.
With so many delectable entries this year, we’ve chosen to award
the top five pies.” He cleared his throat and glanced down at the
paper in his hand. “First place goes to the rhubarb pie made by
Mrs. Emmaline Strait.”

“I knew it.” G.W. slid an arm around his
wife’s shoulders.

“And second place goes to the blackberry pie
made by Miss Anna Stewart.”

Anna squealed before she could stop herself
then slapped a hand over her mouth. At a touch on her elbow, she
turned to a broad smile on Jacob’s face and a twinkle flashing in
his clear blue eyes. He leaned forward and whispered, “I never had
a doubt, did you? I’m only surprised you didn’t take first.”

Jacob stayed by her side for most of the
afternoon. He introduced her to so many people, the names and faces
soon blurred in her mind.

“I had no idea you were so well-known in
this town,” she teased as they headed for a shade tree to escape
the blistering sun.

Jacob shrugged. “That’s what happens when
you grow up in a place, I guess. When I was little, Seguin only had
a couple of roads. Now it’s a great big town and it’s the county
seat for Guadalupe County.” He sighed, leaning against the tree
with his hands in his pockets. He cut a handsome form, from his
wavy brown hair playing in the slight breeze, to his dark green
cotton shirt, to his snug fitting brown pants and heeled cowboy
boots. “I guess change comes whether we want it to or not. I kind
of miss the old days, though. Things were wilder back then but
simpler, too.”

Anna’s eyes wandered toward the houses and
cement buildings comprising the town of Seguin. Her mind brought
back images of the busy streets of Columbia, with its constant flow
of wagons, peddlers, and other traffic.

“I lived in Columbia my entire life before
the fire. It was always busy, never a quiet little town like
Seguin. On Saturdays, Papa would take us on rides through the
countryside.” Her tone grew wistful. “I used to envy the people who
lived in the grand plantation homes. Things seemed so much calmer
there. I’ve never known a place as peaceful as the ranch,
though.”

“Do you miss Columbia?”

“No.” Her voice softened. “I miss Papa, but
I don’t miss the city.”

Jacob’s reply was cut off by an announcer
calling from the direction of the hill to introduce the start of
the shooting match. He straightened and offered his arm. “May I
escort you, ma’am?” He winked.

Monty placed second in the shooting match,
losing to Sheriff Brown. As the onlookers applauded, excitement
rose in Anna’s stomach, threatening to bubble over.

“I can’t be letting anyone outshoot the
lawman in the county, now can I?” The Sheriff shrugged and accepted
the new spur straps offered as the prize.

The horse race was held in a large open area
near the river, and at the sound of a pistol signaling the start,
Anna cheered with the rest of the crowd. The riders were to circle
the area twice, and as they neared the finish line a pack of three
horses pulled away from the rest of the animals. Manuel’s red shirt
appeared in the group that crossed the line first, but she couldn’t
tell who had been ahead.

The announcer’s voice boomed above the
murmurs of the crowd. “And the first place rider is Manuel Jinjosa
from the Double Rocking B.” The spectators roared, with a few hoots
mixed in, probably from their own cowboys.

As the announcer continued broadcasting
where the contestants placed, Anna shouted with the rest of the
group. The excitement was contagious and drowned out the
announcer’s voice. Then her breath caught at an unmistakable
name.

“…Edward Stewart from the Double Rocking
B.”

Was that sixth place he’d just announced? A
surge of pride welled in Anna’s chest, and even as she continued to
cheer, she couldn’t hold back the tear that rolled down her cheek.
An arm rested on her shoulders, and she spun to find a gentle smile
curve across Jacob’s face. With people still cheering around them,
he didn’t say a word, just wiped away the tear. In that moment,
words weren’t needed between them. The look in his eyes showed he
understood.

The women of the town had put together a
chili supper for all in attendance, and Anna was thankful, for
once, to not be responsible for the cooking. After the meal, she
sat on her corner of the picnic blanket with both her real and
adopted families scattered around. Uncle Walter and Aunt Laura
joined them for the evening meal, adding extra flavor to the
conversation. The sky was beginning to show deep oranges and
purples in preparation for sunset. The day had been more fun than
Anna imagined, but she was almost worn out.

Mr. O’Brien seemed to read her thoughts as
he set down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, “Well, I hope
ya’ll aren’t too tuckered out yet. There’s still a whole night of
dancin’ ahead of us.”

“I’m ready,” Bo piped up, earning a playful
shove from Juan.

As if on cue, the strains of the fiddle
drifted from the open area in front of the schoolhouse. “I guess
that’s our sign,” Mr. O’Brien announced, rising to his feet. He
approached Aunt Lola and, with a bow, offered his hand to help her
rise. “Might I escort ye, bonnie lass?” He broke into the Irish
brogue so easily, it was obvious it came naturally to him.

He winked at Anna and leaned closer as if
sharing a secret. “I should be so lucky to escort the two loveliest
ladies to the dance, but I’m afraid with all these strapping young
men around, I would be hung and quartered if I did. So, to save my
own life, I’ll step aside and give the others a chance.”

Warmth rose up Anna’s neck, and she dropped
her gaze down to the blanket. Within seconds, a pair of worn brown
boots stepped into the edge of her vision. Anna slowly raised her
eyes, expecting Jacob. Instead, Monty stood before her with a
sheepish grin. “May I have the honor of the first dance, Miss
Stewart?”

Anna’s heart warmed at the boyish
hopefulness on his leathery cowboy face. Placing her gloved hand in
his, she turned on her southern charm. “Why, I would be honored,
Mr. Dominguez.”

He seemed to grow three inches taller as he
tucked her hand into his elbow and they strolled toward the sound
of the music.

While they ambled, Monty chuckled. “Imagine
me getting the first dance with the prettiest Senorita in town. The
boys are gonna hold this one against me. Of course, I knew if I
didn’t jump on it, I’d not get another chance.”

* * *

Jacob leaned against the pecan tree while
the swirling skirts on the dance floor spun and turned to the
caller’s direction. He usually enjoyed a good square dance. He
wasn’t a great dancer, but he’d had a bit of practice, and it was
always fun to grab a girl and dive into the fray. Tonight, though,
he didn’t feel much like dancing. The girl he had planned to step
out with was twirling and spinning with Miguel. She’d already
danced with every other cowboy from the Double Rocking R and three
from the Lazy T, too. Why, some of them hadn’t even gotten a full
dance in before an interloper would butt in and take over. She was
like a prize bull being passed around from one ranch to
another.

Jacob had tried all night to be a gentleman,
but every time he’d started to get close enough to ask for a dance,
ten men stood in line in front of him.

“You plan to stand here and brood all night
or you gonna dance with that gal?”

He turned to see a familiar head of salty
red hair and blue eyes that were shooting sparks at him.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Aunt Lola.” He
responded with as much of a grin as he could muster then turned
back, pretending to watch the dancers. Maybe if he ignored the
question, she’d give up and leave him be.

She gave a “Hmphh” and scooted next to him,
studying the dancers. Finally, she broke the silence. “Well?”

He let out a long sigh. “She’s got a long
line of partners, just waitin’ to jump at the chance. She’s
certainly not waitin’ around for me. And I’d just as soon stay here
anyhow.”

“Well, I’ll be.” Aunt Lola spun around to
face him, hands fisted on her hips. “Jacob O’Brien, you know as
well as I do you’d rather be dancin’ with that little gal than
breathin’. And if I don’t miss my guess, she feels exactly the
same. Now you better get up the courage God gave ya and quit
skulkin’ in the bushes. Just go out there and git her!” With that,
she grabbed Jacob’s arm with a bony hand and gave him a little
push.

The speech caught Jacob a bit off guard, and
he stood there staring at Aunt Lola for a moment. How should he
respond? It wasn’t courage he lacked but opportunity. But maybe
courage really was his problem. He glanced toward the dance floor
where Anna promenaded down the row in a lively Virginia reel. She
was stunning in that yellow dress, and he’d never seen her look as
happy as she did today. A twinge of jealousy struck Jacob as he
turned his attention toward the lanky cowboy who twirled her
around. Time to put an end to this. Squaring his shoulders, he
pushed away from the tree and headed toward the lady in the yellow
dress.

Jacob reached Anna just as she and her
partner were preparing for another promenade. He grabbed her elbow
and she glanced up at him, wide-eyed.

He tipped his hat to Anna then turned to
face the blustering cowboy across from her. “Mind if I break
in?”

“As a matter of fact—”

Jacob didn’t wait to hear the end of it but
grabbed Anna’s elbow and steered her toward the edge of the dance
floor. When they reached the line of onlookers, Anna turned to face
him with a weak smile.

Jacob shot her a grin. “You’re an awfully
hard person to catch, Miss Stewart.”

“I was wondering where you’ve been hiding
all night,” she retorted, matching his smile.

The music changed and the square dance
caller stepped back to the front of the dance floor. Jacob offered
his elbow. “May I have the honor of a dance?”

Anna hesitated, a look of indecision on her
face. Jacob’s gut tightened.
She’ll dance with any roughneck
that can stand upright but not with me?

“I was kind of hoping we could sit one out?”
Uncertainty mixed with hope in her expression. “My feet are killing
me.”

Jacob’s heart sank a bit, but he tried to
play it off. Raising an eyebrow, he teased, “Wore you out did they?
C’mon, let’s get a drink of lemonade, then we’ll find an empty
bench.”

She looked at him with such gratitude, as if
he’d just saved her from a charging bear.

After stopping at the refreshment table,
Jacob steered Anna toward open seats in the far corner of the dance
area. She sank down with an exhausted sigh, which sent a stab of
guilt to his conscience. The poor thing was worn out, and he was
whining about not getting to dance with her.

They were sitting close to the band, so the
music was too loud for conversation. He enjoyed the silence with
her, though. That’s the way it always was with Anna. Over the
months they’d spent sharing coffee in the mornings, they’d
developed an understanding on a deeper level. Many times she would
finish his thought, even if he hadn’t actually stated it out loud.
It was uncanny but part of what made it so comfortable to be in her
presence.

The fiddles finally slowed on the last bars
of “Rose of Alabamy,” and the caller announced the final song of
the night, “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” Jacob raised an eyebrow at
Anna. Her shy smile made his heart flip.

He led her to the center of the floor then
pulled her into a waltz as they moved with the music. He’d never
been particularly good at the slower dances and usually avoided
them, but moving around the floor with his arm around this woman
was the most natural thing in the world. In that moment, Jacob knew
the truth. God had placed her in his life for a reason. She was
exactly what he needed, and he was tired of fighting God’s will in
favor of his own futile plans. It was time to do something about
it.

Anna shuffled into the kitchen the next
morning and yawned. They’d arrived home late the night before, but
Monty had already given the boys fair warning he expected them back
in the saddle at the usual time, no excuses accepted. And
that
meant Anna had to have breakfast on the table at the
usual time. She groaned as she stoked the coals in the stove. After
more than the usual amount of kindling, blowing, and coaxing, the
wood finally caught fire, and she poured water into the coffee
pots.

As she reached for the pots, her hand froze
in mid-air. A yellow rose lay in front of the containers, and
underneath it was a small slip of paper. Her exhaustion
miraculously cleared. The words were written in a large, even
script:
For the sweetest Rose in Texas.
It wasn’t signed,
but there was no question the note was from Jacob. The waltz they’d
shared the night before, the feel of his arm around her waist,
guiding her with the music, it had seemed like the most natural
thing in the world.

Anna sighed. This was torture, being so
close to Jacob day in and day out and him not returning her love.
She glanced down at the rose on the stove then at the note in her
hands. Was he starting to feel something for her? It had sure
seemed like it last night. Maybe yesterday was the prodding he’d
needed.